July 30, 2024 - A recent failed software update, which occurred on July 19, 2024, caused an IT outage among the largest in history, affecting 8.5 million Windows systems globally. Windows systems crashed and displayed the infamous blue screen of death. Insurers estimate the cost to U.S. Fortune 500 companies to be $5.4 billion.

CrowdStrike, the company at the center of the outage, is an endpoint security vendor known for its Falcon platform. The platform is designed to protect systems from potential threats and minimize security risks.

Outage impact and the critical need for robust cybersecurity

CrowdStrike's update was intended to improve the Falcon sensor's capability to detect new cyber threats. Instead, it contained a logic error activated by a routine sensor configuration update, causing systems to crash.

The impact was severe and widespread, affecting various sectors worldwide. Critical services, like air travel, faced massive disruptions that resulted in thousands of cancellations and significant delays. The healthcare sector was also severely impacted, with some surgeries postponed and emergency services experiencing outages. This incident underscored cybersecurity software's crucial role in our modern digital infrastructure.

Although Microsoft was not responsible for the flaw, the outage's nature serves as a stark reminder of the world's dependence on its software platforms and the critical importance of maintaining robust security for Microsoft systems.

In an era of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, ensuring that systems are well-protected is paramount. Proactive measures and a strong security framework are essential to safeguard systems, ensure business continuity, and mitigate potential risks effectively. Fortunately, there is a solution.

Microsoft's market-leading security products provide advanced threat protection, real-time monitoring, and sophisticated AI-driven threat detection, ensuring that organizations can confidently safeguard their data and operations. The company offers robust defense mechanisms against various cyber risks with a comprehensive suite of solutions.

Below are some of the benefits of Microsoft’s security solutions:

1. Comprehensive security solutions

   Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

   Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a business security solution designed to assist in preventing, detecting, investigating, and responding to sophisticated threats. It supports various Windows operating systems as well as macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.
   
   Defender for Endpoint comes in several plans and utilizes a combination of built-in endpoint technology and Microsoft's well-built cloud service. The following elements are fundamental to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint:
   
   • Endpoint behavioral sensors: Connected directly within Windows, these elements collect and analyze behavioral actions from the operating system (OS) and provide this information to a private, secure cloud account within Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
   • Cloud security analytics: Using big data, machine learning, and specific Microsoft insights across the Windows landscape, organizational cloud solutions such as Office 365 can investigate behavioral signals translated into detections, insights, and recommended actions regarding advanced threats.
   • Threat intelligence: Originated by Microsoft hunters, security groups, and partners, the knowledge of potential threats allows Defender for Endpoint to recognize attacker tools, tactics, and procedures and then put out alerts when detected in the collected sensor data.

   Microsoft 365 Defender

   Microsoft 365 Defender leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to collect, correlate, and analyze threat data from across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, including email, endpoints, identities, and applications. This comprehensive approach lets security teams view their potential threats’ full scope and impact in a single dashboard.
   
   Below are ways Microsoft 365 Defender integrates threat protection across different areas:
   
   • Email: Microsoft Defender for Office 365 uses machine learning and heuristics to detect and block phishing attempts. It analyzes various aspects of emails, such as links, sender information, and content. Additionally, it connects to a Microsoft database that evaluates an enterprise's correspondence to determine the likelihood of a text, file, or link being malware.
   • Identities: Defender for Identity, fully integrated with Microsoft Defender XDR, leverages signals from both on-premises Active Directory and cloud entities to identify, detect, and investigate threats.
   • Endpoints: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint provides up-to-the-minute protection against sophisticated threats on endpoints. It offers vulnerability solutions and assessments, attack surface reduction, automatic investigation and proposed remedies, and managed hunting services.

2. Platform consolidation

   Moving to Microsoft's security solutions allows you to consolidate your security platforms, reducing complexity and improving manageability. Integration with existing Microsoft products such as Azure, Office 365, and Windows enhances overall security posture and simplifies administration.
   
   Integrating various security tools into a unified ecosystem provides several key benefits from Microsoft, including:
   
   
   • Comprehensive protection: Microsoft's security solutions include email, endpoints, identities, applications, and cloud environments. This comprehensive protection helps clients defend against diverse threats from a single platform.
   • Centralized management: Security operations can be managed from a central dashboard with solutions like Microsoft 365 Defender and Sentinel. Centralized management simplifies the monitoring, detection, and response to security incidents, making it easier to maintain a robust security posture.
   • Enhanced visibility: By consolidating security platforms, an organization can gain better visibility into its security landscape. Microsoft's tools collect and correlate data across the enterprise, providing a holistic view of potential threats and vulnerabilities.
   • Improved efficiency: Consolidation reduces the need for multiple disparate security tools, which can be challenging to manage and integrate. Microsoft's integrated security solutions streamline operations, reduce redundancies, and free up resources for other critical tasks.

3. Cost savings

   Microsoft's security solutions offer cost-effective pricing models to help organizations save money, while achieving superior protection. Bundling security solutions with other Microsoft services can lead to additional savings and streamlined billing.
   
   Organizations can reduce the costs of maintaining and licensing multiple solutions by consolidating security tools into a single platform. This consolidation can also lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) by simplifying infrastructure and support requirements.

4. Enhanced support and reliability

   Microsoft provides robust support and regular updates to ensure the highest level of security and reliability. Clients of Microsoft and Citrin Cooperman benefit from their extensive experience and knowledge in cybersecurity, knowing that these professionals provide backup at every step.

Explore Microsoft’s superior security solutions with Citrin Cooperman

If the recent outage concerns your organization, it may be time to explore a more secure, reliable, cost-effective alternative to CrowdStrike. Microsoft offers some of the best business software solutions while providing protective technologies to keep systems safe and secure.

As a Certified Microsoft Partner, Citrin Cooperman’s Digital Services Practice delivers comprehensive Microsoft solutions, including industry-leading security solutions. Citrin Cooperman can help organizations navigate this transition smoothly and enhance their overall security posture. Schedule some time to talk to us so we can learn more about your concerns and create a path that puts you on a more secure road forward.